Creative Music and Creative Painting

This week we were asked to create art while listening to music.  I did two separate pieces using two separate pieces of music.  I decided to use these circle cardboard pieces as my canvases.  They allowed me to have a boundary but also explore my creative flow in a circle.  The first piece of music I used was a piece of music by Balmorhea titled The Winter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9cVN4ZqNIM

My art work reflects a use of multiple colors of blues, the continuous flow and dimension.  While I was creating this I did a lot of reflection on the past semester and all the work I have done and how its all melted together to provide me with a complex and depth background and thought process.  How I look at compassion and my work differently than before.  My continued journey into my work with arts in healthcare.

The second piece I created I used a piece of music by Air Max '97 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvOTowxAnZU

This music has a more electronic funk to it.  The piece I created with this is brighter and has lines and fading.  While paining this I was really having fun and getting very excited for my future, the end of the semester and whats to come next.  The bleeding of the colors within the lines represents for me all the crossover I have throughout all my work and how I learn all the time and how excited I am to learn even more! 

Program Implementation: Boots on the Ground & the Bird's Eye View; Advocacy and Visibility.

As our course comes to an end we were asked to reflect on our course theme's: Program Implementation: Boots on the Ground & the Bird's Eye View; Advocacy and Visibility.  As I reflected on our work on program implementation I thought about connecting the dots.  When creating a program you make a bunch of dots.  Dots being ideas, themes, communities and locations.  As you begin to piece it together the lines start to form.  Finding the proper locations, creating a budget, finding the community and looking for funding.  The dots connect and lines and the program begins to take a form.  I started with drawing the dots, different sizes and shapes.  I then used different colors to connect the lines, then used a light colored pencil to fill in the shapes I created.  This entire creative process this week really was a reflection for me.  To consider what I've learned through this entire course and the entire process of shaping a program.  While I'm still connecting the dots of it all, this piece of art is a reminder of they will all connect eventually! 

Evaluating Happiness

A major part of arts in medicine is finding the funding for the work, being able to provide the services for free to the community of people but also valuing the art and the artist in residence.  The majority of the funding comes from grants.  A large part of grants is the evaluation process.  How can you show results from your work.  A very common evaluation used is a simple feedback survey.  These anonymous surveys allow for data that can be analyzed.  For my creative practice this week I created a happiness evaluation.  I decided to go to a popular shopping area here in Gainesville and hand out 50 surveys.

On a Friday evening 6:00-6:30 I went to the Archer Road Trader Joes shopping area loaded up with clipboards, pens, and surveys.  I decided to wait out site the area between Trader Joes and other shopping areas.  When I approached people I asked them if they would take one minute to circle a quick answer on my survey for happiness.  At first I was a little nervous so I think people were as well, but the more I asked the more comfortable I got!

After I collected 50 responses I used the data to asses that target area.

Out of 50 people surveyed

21: Very Happy
12: Happy
13: Average
4: Sad
0: Very Sad

This evaluation showed me that the majority of people in that area at that time were average or above with the mast majority very happy.

During one survey the older gentleman said to me, I was kind of sad but now that you asked how I was I'm happy.  Showing that simple actions can really turn peoples days around.  

Evaluations can be fun!!

Included is the blank evolution form and a view filled out forms.

Symbol of Compassion

This week we were asked to create a symbol of compassion.  After pondering the thought for a while and reading our weekly readings, I wasn't sure what would be able to capture compassion.  A single symbol.  So many thing within our lives have a symbol a cross, Buddha, peace sign, smiley faces ect. What could be my personal symbol for compassion.  Compassion is something that is never ending its continuous but constantly changing.  It has dimensions, levels and textures. Something that is necessary to life.  Much like water.  We need water to survive but water also is constantly changing and has complex levels, dimensions and textures.  So for my symbol for compassion I'm using Clark Little Photography for some assistance.  Clark Little Photography is based out of Hawaii.  This image was a beautiful example of compassion for me.  The wave symbolizes the every changing dynamic of compassion, the consistent flow but strong powers.  The sun also captures how compassion can shine light into new directions, ones you may have not known before.  The symbol of a wave captures compassion for me also because waves are happening all the time, even we aren't seeing them.  The ocean is huge and waves are always happening, much like compassion.  There is always compassion happening around the world the same as waves.

Photography: http://www.clarklittlephotography.com

Humans of Cheer

 Brandon Stanton’s Art Initiative Humans of New York is a collection of his findings as he goes around New York City and takes peoples pictures that he meets on the streets in the city.  After the photograph he talks to them for a minute.  The humanization of his work is so powerful, to see the collection of images really captivates me.  So this week we were asked to do our own response to Brandon's work.  I thought about it all week, becoming slightly obsessed with the idea.  Who would I find it had to be perfect I was searching as I was walking places.  Nothing had come to me until I was out of town this weekend judging a cheer and dance competition in Orlando.  First of all the world of cheer and dance is like a different universe a very unique collection of people.  When I was on a break I was heading to the concession stand when I noticed this gentleman.  Full blown wig, boa, skirt, leg warmers just casually walking around.  Now normally passing this guy you would be taken back.  But in the world of cheer and dance competition you are used to seeing a large display of team spirit.  Usually in the form of signs and sometimes moms of the cheerleaders, but commonly not the dads.  I smiled at him and he goes "you like my outfit" I said I actually do can I take your picture?  He said of course and flashed me his big smile.  I snapped a quick picture with my phone and told him thank you.  He ended up sharing with me the story behind the outfit.  He said that it wasn't a bet which is what most people think.  He then proceeded to tell me one of the most touching stories I have ever heard.
His wife passed away tragically from cancer, she was diagnosed and gone in 3 months.  They had one daughter who was 8 at the time.  He said it was the hardest time in his life.  He had no idea what to do, his wife had been the caretaker for their daughter and he was a working man.  When she died he didn't know what to do. His daughter had been cheerleading and loved it and his wife instructed him to be sure to let her keep cheering.  Before his wife passed he had never been to anything involved with his daughters cheerleading, they would travel on the weekends he would stay and golf.  After the death he encouraged his daughter to keep cheerleading, and she did.  It became something they bonded over.  Rather than staying late in the office or going for drinks with the guys after work he was rushing out of the office to make it to the 4:30 practice and bringing snacks for her at 6:30 then picking her up at 8:30.  He had no idea the work she put into the sport, nor had he ever appreciated all the work his wife had done as well.  As the competition season approached one of the moms from the cheerleading gym asked if he was going to the competition.  He said he remembers looking her dead in the face and having no clue what to say.  He did go to the competition.  He had no idea what was going on but when his daughters team got on stage he said he went crazy.  He felt like he was watching the Super Bowl.  His daughter is now 15 and cheerleading has become their lives together.  She hopes to pursue it in college and he will be right by her side.
After this interaction I really started to think about all the people we pass every day.  We have no idea about what is going on in their lives, what they have gone through. We maybe have a brush of a shoulder with them.  Today we barely even make eye contact because we are looking at our phones. I do this all the time, walk and look at my phone never taking time to look at my surroundings or fellow pedestrians around me.  As we walk through life I think the skills of eye contact and listening may be the most compassionate skills we can acquire.  

Nature of Relationships & Ethos

Ethos to me means the character of someone.  Something that I find as a personal character trait of mine that I have struggled with finding the balance with both my relationships in personal life and in work life is boundaries.  This week I created a piece of art that I felt showcased the boundaries of life.   In each part of our lives we have boundaries. Within my life it falls in the hospital, dance studio, personal time and school work.  I struggle to find the right balance of alone time for self care, time for preparation and energy to each activity.  This art work captures this the white lines in a abstract pattern represent the boundaries and how mine overlap between each part of my life.   The different shades of blue represent the different parts of my life.  My different jobs, school, family and other personal lives.  You can see in the artwork that the white lines aren't perfectly straight and paint has created an uneven edge, this is very true with my boundaries within my life.  Sometimes I cross my own boundaries.  The natures of our relationship and ethos fall very much on boundaries.  In order to bring myself 100% to my work I have to be sure to give myself personally 100% of recovery time to accommodate all the other parts of my life.  Finding the balance in a constant struggle and its a constant recalibration throughout ones life.  

Compassion

This week the paintings we viewed showed young children and their mothers.  One depicted a mother washing the feet of a young child another of the mother looking at her sleeping baby.  I think that this image of a mother looking at her baby resonates compassion.  Almost everyone can connect and feel a sense of compassion when witnessing the innocence of a baby and the love of the parent.  As I traveled through my days this week I started to take notice to other moments of compassion I saw, I find myself smiling back a babies and noticing others do the same.  But can we find compassion in other areas besides just children.  The two images I'm sharing capture compassion in my eyes.  The first photo is one of the dancers from Dance for Life sharing a story of his past with a volunteer.  The bottom picture is of a younger gentleman holding an umbrella for an older women in the rain.  Both of these images show compassion.  Listening is such an art, the dancer has such beautiful stories to share.  The image capture really shows her listening and him speaking.  The umbrella scene I caught from my rainy car window, its so common now that we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of our personal lives that we stop to look around and see if we can help anyone else.  This young man assisting this women captures a moment of genuine human connection.  As we go through life we should be taking more time to notice this human connection much like with a mother and baby and noticing the compassion around us.  If we notice more I think we reciprocate more compassion.

Overheard

This week we were asked to gather overheard dialog at a restaurant and write a poem based on what you hear.  One of my favorite things to do is to go eat alone, especially lunch.  I frequently do this as a personal retreat, enjoy a nice meal and it gives me time to think or read a book.  This week I went to Chilli's for a quick lunch.  As I was sitting there I really allowed myself to listen to the environment, I wrote down phrases I was hearing on a envelope I had in my purse from a card I had received and created this poem:


I Told Her:

Just sit down
I told her not to go
Can you believe it
I thought I lost it but I found it
No No I'm not ready
I shouldn't have anymore
Together yes together
Do we have to go back
Can you believe it
I'll keep checking
It's so not fair
I told her not to go
I told her
Let's do it again soon


That day at lunch I was seated alone around 3 tables that had a mixed population, I assumed two ladies behind me were on a quick lunch break, three gentleman across from me were doing a business lunch and a mother and daunter appeared to be enjoying a mid-afternoon shopping break.  Again that was just my speculation as I didn't know any of them.  I didn't read the entire poem until after I got home.  I wrote the phrases on the envelope and thought I would rework it at home, but once I got home I realized that this was the poem!! No reworking but a mixture of phrases over heard to create one poem.  In reflection most phrases were meant in a context to do with food "no i'm not ready" to the waitress about ordering.  "I shouldn't have anymore" overheard about enjoying a  last bite of dessert, "together yes together" about paying a bill.  But when put on a blank envelope it has strung together into a poem.  A poem that has a sense of humanity to me, a sense of concern.  This really showed me the importance and art of listening.  I know myself personally have a tendency of speaking and putting my two cents in.  I'm challenging myself to listen more, open my ears and really embrace what is around me.

Ripping off the Band-Aid

This week we looked at Ethics & Human Nature.  A very debatable issue especially in the realm of the healthcare world.  Dan Ariely's TED Talk really struck home with me and was my inspiration for my creative practice this week.  He discusses being burned and having his bandages changed and the nurses approach of the just rip it off quick.  He reflects that he thought it would be better to approach this differently.  He then sought out to understand this and went on to many test and studies to understand the "just rip it off" approach.  What he learned was that indeed he was correct taking two hours and going more slowly would have been better than just ripping it off and having the task done in one hour.  This week I  decided to explore the idea of "ripping the band-aid off" in movement.  Allowing myself to examine the feeling of pulling and tugging.  As humans we are tactile so really allowing myself to touch and hit, in the phrase I really hit my body, you can hear the contact.  It was a very whole body experience for me.  As we look into ethics I think remembering our sense of self is so important.  I enjoyed this exploration.

https://vimeo.com/121729426

https://vimeo.com/121729426

Color of Compassion

"Color is a matter of taste and sensitivity" Edouard Manet.  As artist we know that color effects us, its what shapes our artwork.  As a dancer I use color with my costumes and props.  Color is a powerful tool, it can direct your audience.  I once choreographed a solo to silence and did a experiment.  I did the exact solo one week wearing all grey, feedback I received included comments such as: searching, seemed sad, looking for something.  Next week I did the exact solo in  a hot pink dress comments I received for this performance included: fun, exploring life, energetic.  The same solo the only difference was the color of my clothes.  Color is around us all day, so what color is compassion?  When I originally asked myself this question my mind started racing bright colors, cool colors, white, black ect.  I challenged myself paint compassion.  Not being a visual artist by trait this is always a challenge to me.  I would prefer to dance my color of compassion, but found that if I focus on the idea of dance with the paint brush it has a similar effect.  Embracing the dance of the paint brush.  I started with a blank slate and a plate full of paint colors.  I allowed myself to explore the colors to find my color for compassion.  What I created was a series of color patterns, in the green and blue family.  I find these colors rich and warm with a sense of safety, which I relate to compassion.  My artwork connects to my compassion, multiple layers and overlap throughout the art work.  There is dimension from the paint not all even of clean and tidy, which relates to compassion, compassion comes in all different forms.  The finished piece answered my question what color is compassion to me, not one color but a mixture of many.

Handwritting

The first thing we learn in school to write is our name.   Throughout our life we write our names hundred of thousands of times.  School papers, checks, marriage certificates, leases ect.   We each have a unique signature and letters.

This week I explored using names as a form of bedside practice.  Multiple ways to use this practice.  The patient could write their name or write names of loved ones.  If they can't write the artist could assist.  I used the water color pencils, which I feel for this populations would be easier.  Able to write their name and then use the water to go over it to blend it.

Handwritting is cherished my many.  Popular currently are tattoos of parents or grandparents handwriting.  Blown up recipe cards from grandparents in kitchens ect.

A conversation could go so many ways with this exercise.  Discussing how and when they learned to write, their maiden name, ect.

Supplies Used:

** Canvas
** Water Color Pencils
** Water
** Brush

Bed Side Zen

Zen philosophies come from Mahayana Buddhism.  The word "Zen" mean meditation.  The goal in Zen is to reach enlightenment through focused thinking.  Zen gardens provide a place well suited for meditation.  This week I explored creating a Zen garden bed side.  I used a lid of a box, sand, small rocks, small frogs and bead.  

This project is great for people well into their adulthood and could be used not only in a hospital setting but for everyone.  Having a small Zen garden at ones desk is also a great idea.  Being able to use the small fork to rake designs and just take a few moments to relax.  This is appropriate for a range of adults.   You could vary the size of the garden as well as the supplies used in the garden. 

Salty Adventure

This week I explored watercolors, glue and salt.  This project is something that can be adapted and suitable for someone in adolescence through adulthood.  A great way to make this suitable for any age is by the prior conversation about what type of scene they are going to create.  For a younger child a simple conversion about where they want to visit.  This conversation can evolve depending on the patient.

Supplies needed:

Canvas
Salt
Water Colors
Glue
Paint Brush
Water

1.  Apply glue in any pattern or scene to the canvas
2.  Apply salt all over (be sure to apply a generous amount)
3.  Tilt canvas and allow excess salt to fall off of canvas
4.  Using water colors apply the color to the glue/salt
5.  The salt will absorb the paint and spread

This project is great because the entire process is very fun and intriguing.  When you apply the water color to the glue and sand it soaks in a spreads, its amazing to watch.  The finished project has so much texture.  

Here Comes the Sun

This week I explore activities for children ages 0-12


Here Comes the Sun

Supplies Needed:

Paint
Fork
Plate
Sharpie
Paper
Scissors

Step 1:  Draw face for the sun
Step 2: Put paint on plate
Step 3:  Using fork make sun rays on sun


This is a great activity for a variety of ages.  You can have the sun face drawn and the child just has to use the forks to make the sun rays.  Or for older children have them draw the sun and then cut out the sun.  Being able to have projects that are versatile is important.  This is also a great conversation starter.  "what do you like to do in the sun"  "do you want to visit somewhere thats really sunny" questions like that can really open and engage children.

Where I'm From and Where I'm Going

While creating my Arts Timeline I did a lot of reflection on my personal journey in the artist and asked myself the question a lot of....how did I get to be the artist I am today.  When I looked through each stage I asked myself this question.

One stage that I had a particularly  long reflection of was my time at my boarding school in Virginia for dance.  While I was there I felt that I wasn't using my artistic talent rather being asked to fine-tune  my technique and presentation of the art itself.  But after reflecting I have used more of my lessons learned there to create the artist I am today.  I find myself time and time again reflecting on teachers I had during that time period.  I use they're analogies and teaching methods often in my personal classes.  I also use their corrections still to this day on my own personal dancing and creating.  While in the moment I felt that I wasn't being artistic that moment in my life has really shaped me today as an artist.

For my timeline I created this art instillation of glass jars with sand and glitter.  The fourth jar from the left/ the second pink on represents that time in my life.

Human Development

Human Development is a never ending process.  Myself personally as an artist I try to expand my "tool kit."  This week I decided to explore my personal human development through some visual art.  

Supplies:

1 canvas
acrylic paint
gloves
stickers

Steps:

1. Place the numbers on canvas
2. Put on gloves
3. Use paints to cover canvas

I choose to use numbers 1-26 due to my current age.  I wanted to show my human and creative development through the years.  I used my fingers to trace and explore the space between the numbers.  I found that using my fingers really allowed myself to explore and feel the canvas and also connects a lot with human development.  So much of growing and learning is tactical. I really enjoyed making different textures.
 

I love going through something and finding an old note or card.   Thats how I felt when I opened this blog back up.  No it isn't that old, but it was a nice reflection to see what I've done and how I've grown.  I'm so excited to be back to this blog for my class Arts in Human Development.  As I was reflecting on my past year in the masters program and how I wanted to introduce myself to this second year I only found it fitting to dance.  I decided to use a list of words to create a short movement phrase.  The words I used to introduce myself and reflection of the last year were: 

Happy

Searching 

Fun 

Wrapped

Embraced

Learning 

Reaching 

Purple 

Grasp

Write

Explore 

These words I feel not only describe me personally but also me as I'm on the adventure of the masters program.  I made a dance phrase using these words as inspiration for the movement. 

So this is my friendly hello to old friends and introduction to the new ones! 

P.S. Sorry the sound is kind of low 

http://vimeo.com/110177650

A closing thats only the beginning

Throughout the past year this blog has been the collection of different creative practices I have engaged in.  As I come to the end of my certificate work I feel that I'm not ending only opening a new door into a new journey.  This dance is a collection of multiple thoughts, phrases and drawings I have had over my year in a journal I kept.  This journal has been a very personal collection of thoughts not a place for notes about course work but a place for thoughts both positive and negative about my life.  My life encompasses and intertwined in school, work and relationships.  I've overcome many challenges within my certificate work, challenges in embracing visual arts.  This blog has been a place for me to post my work, which when I first did a visual art project I was so nervous to do so.  This blog has been a place to express and explore and know while no one really looks at it, it can be found.  Its forever on the internet--which while scary is also so cool.  This dance was composed with inspiration by drawings, words and phrases in my personal journey. Enjoy

The Seven's

Trisha Brown is an iconic modern choreographer.   Her work encompasses multidisciplinary practices and is so beautiful.   Her book "SO THAT THE AUDIENCE DOES NOT KNOW WHETHER I HAVE STOPPED DANCING" served as my inspiration for my creative practice.

The book is a collection of some of her thoughts and inspirations for her dances.  In 1969 she created a work called "Skymap" for this work she used sketches she had drawn to create her floor patterns and movement for the dance.  I was so intrigued by this, I decided to try it myself.  This week I focused on the sketches.  Trisha Brown discusses that she would draw many different sketches before picking just one.  I noticed in her sketches she seemed to follow a pattern of type, but never discussed it.  Some of the sketches only have 5 lines repeated and others only having a circle.  

For my creative practice I did "The Seven's"

I challenged myself to create 7 drawings created of 7 lines.  This is my 4th sketch I am including.  It was such a inspiring practice, I really enjoyed it.  I found myself turning the paper and looking at it different ways.

I am planning on using this sketch to create a dance, much like Trisha Brown has done.

Gratitude Phrase One

I'm so thankful everyday for so many people and so much in my life.  I had an idea to create dance phrases in gratitude.  I have started compiling a list of things, experiences and people that I am grateful for.  With this list over time I plan to create short dance phrases and hopefully string them together into a much larger work!

As an artist dance is my form of expression, being able to show people my gratitude with movement is such a sweet idea in my mind.  Also the idea that to people unknowing the movement may have different context or meaning to them.  This is a project I am not putting any timeline on.

My first dance phrases is actually to myself, I made this phrases to thank my body, my mind and my soul for all that is has done so far.  I'm focusing on working from the inside out, if I'm happy I will radiate happiness and be able to provide happiness as I'm facilitating my art.

Dance is such a dynamic journey for me and I'm really happy with this phrases and can't wait to build on and add onto the idea of gratitude!